>> somewhere in america, there is a doctor who can peer into the future. there is a nurse who can access in an instant every patient's past. and because the whole hospital is working together, there is a family that can breathe easy right now. somewhere in america we have already answered some of the nation's toughest health care questions. and the over 60,000 people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens, answers. >> and now, "bbc world news." >> the battle for the arctic. all of the countries. in moscow, there is concern over the commonwealth games. but they say it will be ready. >> according to international standards, and for those to come

to participate in these games, they will feel quite happy about the conditions. >> an administration deeply divided over afghanistan. the new book that is embarrassing president obama. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast on pbs in america and elsewhere around the globe. my name is mike embley. we look back at the bloody battle that left a lost generation. and killer heels. are they putting you in danger on the open road? six countries not arguing with each other at a major conference

in moscow. the scramble for natural resources in the far north of this planet has come center stage. the arctic holds vast untapped fields of oil and gas, all becoming more accessible as global warming melts more and more ice. where she is claiming almost one-half of 1 million square miles, -- russia is claiming almost one-half of 1 million square miles, and others of asa state a claim. competition is so fierce -- and others have also staked a claim. competition is so fierce, some worry about a war. >> russia is bidding to dominate but the arctic as the ice melts -- russia is hoping to dominate, the arctic -- dominate the arctic. oil and gas.

we were taken on board a nuclear-powered icebreaker, which had led the way, just before the final leg of their journey. the russians, keen to publicize how quickly they are exploiting the effects of climate change here in the arctic. at the moment, this and the other icebreakers are needed to escort the cargo ship safely, but according to many predictions, within the next 20 years, there will be no ice here at all, which means this could become a very busy shipping lane. russian icebreakers have also been moving towards the north pole. this expedition three years ago reinforcing the russian claim to an ex arctic territory -- to annex arctic territory, planting the russian flag.

russian's conference, officials repeated their claims of this territory, which could contain more oil and gas than saudi arabia. >> national interests are more important than anything else. russia is inextricably linked to the arctic. a great russian scientists said russia would increase in size by expanding into the arctic, and we agree with that -- a great russian scientist said russia would increase in size. >> there is already a big push towards the north pole, building nuclear power stations due to be deployed in the arctic to provide electricity and heating. >> these reactors have great potential, making it possible to explore the arctic shelf and to extract oil and gas. there are extreme conditions

there. " >> so with all this hard work, the russian goal was seem clear, to control the bulk of the resources.ich richard galpin, bbc news. >> more teams are delaying their departure for delhi. some may refuse to compete. james has this story. >> the event may have to be canceled. they still have not received the assurances they received before they agree to compete. there was yesterday's collapse of a footbridge alongside the main stadium.

the tarnished reputation of these games will be far harder to repair. they go from one problem to another. the latest incident? the collapse of part of the ceiling inside a venue. >> the people of india, we will see to it that the commonwealth games are conducted according to international standards and that the athletes who come to participate in these games will feel wrote quite happy about the conditions -- will feel quite happy about the conditions. >> some have delayed the dispatch of the first athletes. the irish team is still due to fly on monday, in england has confirmed that the men's hockey team will travel as scheduled tomorrow -- and england has confirmed. >> things could change. there are guarantees about the safety and a significant

improvement in the quality of the accommodations. >> long before these latest developments, the games had been hit by a number of big-name withdrawals. there was the european championship pullout. and now, we have athletes pulling up because of safety concerns. the world triple jump champion is one, but it is not just those competitors. another has done the same, citing to a many hazards to health and life. -- too many hazards it to her health and life. -- hazards .to her health and life. >> hopefully, india will get everything sorted out before we arrived. >> delhi awaits, but the

humiliation of the games are canceled would be immense. there is no disguising the amount of work that needs to be done. james, bbc news. >> israeli forces violated international law and when they review law when they -- violated international law when they raided a flotilla. israel says they acted in self- defense. there have been violent clashes in part of east jerusalem, where a man was shot and killed by an israeli security guard. protesters threw stones at israeli police, who fired tear gas to disperse them. a full-scale military, diplomatic operation to free

hostages kidnapped by al qaeda. there is one from madagascar. it is thought they have been taken elsewhere. the white house is defending president obama's handling of the war in afghanistan, amid reports of divisions. "the washington post" reporter bob woodward talks about an exit strategy note, leaving commanders clamoring for more troops -- an exit strategy, leaving commanders clamoring for more troops. >> at odds with the powerful pentagon machine. the book suggests months of meetings were dominated by the president demands for an exit strategy and said he told one meeting, "i am not doing 10 years. i am not doing long-term nation-

building." "i cannot lose the whole democratic party." it says the president was frustrated, and general petraeus apparently said the administration has the wrong guy. the president eventually decided to send more troops, and when the military press for more, he exploded, "i am done during this." -- doing this." this picture of the president worries some republicans. >> it shows he is taking great concern about his political base, looking at how we focus the war first rather than what keeps his base in line with the democratic party. >> the book is by bob woodward. he broke the watergate scandal

that brought down president nixon. bush was his most recent target, meticulously detailed how he made decisions about the war, so his latest work is taken very seriously in washington korean officials are already concerned that the cia is running a secret paramilitary to force -- so his latest work is taken very seriously in washington. officials are already concerned that the cia is running a secret paramilitary force. a spokesman called it baseless and inflammatory. 40 years after watergate, when word is still making waves. >> our reporter in washington for as -- bob woodward is still making waves. >> our reporter in washington for us. let's go to new york with our

correspondent. barbara, even in a time of austerity, the u.s. has to live up to its aid and given the responsibilities, but he seems to want nothing less than an entirely new responsibilities -- has to live up to its aid and other responsibilities, but he seems to want nothing less than new responsibilities. >> this is a much broader theme that it involves, trade policy and investment policy and things like that. instead of food aid, for instance, he might invest in the agricultural sector, and some have welcomed this more structural approach to trying to stop poverty, but it is said that president obama did not commit any new money to the millennium development goals, even though america is very bar behind -- far behind the goals it set tenures ago. >> barbara, -- the goals it set

10 years ago. >> barbara, what about this new role? >> i think what he is going to be tried to do is have a result -- he is going to be trying to have a new result. rather than talking about the money that is being spent, which i think is probably seen in the white house as something that may be harder to sell in the public during a time of austerity. >> barbara, many thanks for that. thanks to you for being with us. do stay with us if you can on "bbc world news." more to come. the hudson bay and mineral riches beneath the polar ice cap. first though, that booming chinese economy is having an unwelcome side effects. one generation ago, hardly

anyone was overweight, and now, nearly one in two is overweight. we have this report. >> this is a 12-year-old. he is obese, weighing 40 kilograms more than he should. he has been sent to this clinic to lose weight. there are traditional chinese treatments of massage and acupuncture. like many in china, -- some say these children are spoiled, -- he says he does not do anything around the home. he just enjoys himself. the family's youngest member could once eat whatever he likes, sometimes two helpings, but now, he is on a strict diet of fruit and vegetables. across china, helping people to lose weight.

it is a strict regime of exercise, healthy eating, and medical treatments. being overweight is not just a problem for the people here. it is also a problem for society at large. if you're overweight, you are more likely to get ill, and that means the government will have to supply more hospitals, more treatments, and more clinics. there has already been an explosion of illnesses related to obesity. not long ago, chinese people have to worry about not having enough to eat. millions died in a famine in the 1960's, but a booming economy has suddenly transform people's lives. many are now richer than they ever dreamed -- has suddenly transformed people's lives. >> this is "bbc world news."

six countries are arguing in moscow over mineral and gas rights in the arctic. russian officials say they will position there.t the potentially lucrative transponder shipping route. ships on hudson bay. >> this is a tugboat, heading north towards the arctic circle. we are miles off of the western shore of canada's hudson bay, an area very inaccessible. there are no roads, but there are people who live along that shore. an enormous barge is carrying construction materials. it is the only way of getting that equipment there as part of a vital supply line. the conditions were fine, but this journey may not have been

possible. as the earth warms up and polar ice melts, shipping lanes are becoming accessible for a longer in the year and for bigger vessels. that could mean the north west -- for longer in the year and for bigger vessels. this means the northwest could become an important shipping route, which could be streamy valuable. -- could be extremely valuable. the military health and exercise in arctic waters, a show of strength, and the government has committed to investing more in ships to patrol the area. other countries' dispute what canada is saying. they say the northwest passage should be free to shipping. there are some disagreements. it has a sense of the gold rush about it.

remote areas like this are coming under scrutiny like never before. bbc news, in the hudson bay, in canada. >> on this day 30 years ago, iraq invaded its neighbor iran and started a bitter eight-year war, which devastated both countries and destabilize the area. the conflict started over a border dispute, but there was a longstanding rivalry. >> the desert of northern iran, one of the points for the incursion into iran of saddam hussein in 1980. 22 years after the war ended, i have come back to the region where most of the fighting took place between the neighbors. this was one of the areas constantly under indian fire. -- constantly under fire.

>> iranian and iraqi soldiers. i do not know. how they survived. and, believe me, i have difficulty to believe. >> this man was 19 when he was called to join the iraqi army. he was sent straight to the front line. >> i remember seeing soldiers lying on the ground. people were crying out, but nobody would help. these were people wounded from shrapnel. my cousin was one of them. i could not help him. he died in front of me. he does not even have a great. -- a grave. >> the conflict was triggered by a border dispute, but there were deep rivalries at play. there was the islamic

revolution, which had brought the ayatollah khomeini to power. the ayatollah saa saddam hussein as a tyrant, a pressing his country. -- saw saddam hussein as a tyrant, oprah's in this country -- oppressing his country. it is believed that many were killed or wounded. 50 years on, the psychological wounds of this bloody war will take generations to heal. bbc news, in northern iran. >> 10 people have died in a bomb attack in the northwest of iran. dozens more are believed to have been wounded. it was during a parade. it is believed most of the dead

or injured are women and children, and no one is accepting responsibility it. hurricane igor. 20 centimeters of rain in a few hours. a tropical storm warning was lifted early on wednesday, with igor downgraded. " there have been inside -- there have been anti-rhino poaching actions. some detained our veterinary researchersare -- some detained are veterinary researchers. ban ki-moon is attending a summit of world leaders in new york. we have this report " -- ban ki- moon in ending a summit of world

leaders in new york. we have this report. >> they are being told how to increase their yield. their efforts being made across the developing world to reduce by half the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015. >> we have a problem marketing our crops. he says, "we lack transport and capital." they are planting with improved feet and with fertilizer, supplied by now -- for now by this age group, but they will eventually be expected to pick up the bill -- they are planting with improved feed and fertilizer. until recently, she would almost certainly be at home without any skilled health worker if anything were to go wrong. happily, there are no complications.

"god has given them to us," is what they were named. they are trying to speed up progress towards the millennium goals, cutting child mortality by two-thirds, reducing maternal fatality, and reducing hiv/aids and other diseases. there is a major push forward. many of the targets are likely to be missed in most regions, and the impact of the global economic crisis has reached a small communities like this, threatened by poverty. change in places like this and africa is measured in the arrival of electricity or perhaps an improvement in the water supply, and more significantly, in more children surviving diseases, -- more significantly, in more children

surviving diseases and fewer women dying. bbc news, southwestern uganda. >> now, when we get in the car, we are used in adjusting the seat and the rear view of the war era. should we also be looking at our shoes -- adjusting the seat and the rearview window. we have this story. >> millions of us get behind the wheel every day. before you step into your car, how hard do you think about what you are wearing on your feet? more than 18,000 drivers were questioned about what shoes they wear to drive in and how it affects their confidence behind the wheel. over one-quarter of the people said they felt they were not totally in control of their car because of what they were wearing on their feet.

some talked about wages being a problem behind the wheel. others said walking shoes made them feel not completely in control, but flip-flops came out the worst. >> the key message is to people that having on the wrong shoes could lead to an accident. >> so exactly how does the wrong shoe affect the way you drive? at this crash center, they tested a whole array of footwear, measuring a critical fraction of a second note that it takes to breaake. trainers came out best. stilettos were a bit slower piat flip-flops were significantly worse -- stilettos were a bit slower. flip-flops were significantly worse.

well it is not necessarily illegal to drive in the wrong foot wear, -- while it is not necessary illegal to drive in the wrong foot wear, it could help to prevent an accident. >> a conference the korea by global warming. the bbc was told that national interests come first -- a conference in derailed by global warming. -- is derailed by global warming. thanks for watching. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, union bank,

>> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> i'm julia stiles. >> i'm kevin bacon. >> i'm kim cattrall. >> hi, i'm ken burns. >> i'm lili taylor. >> i'm henry louis gates, jr., and public broadcasting is my source for news about the world. >> for intelligent conversation. >> for election coverage you can count on. >> for conversations beyond the sound bites. >> a commitment to journalism. >> for deciding who to vote for. >> i'm kerry washington, and public broadcasting is my source for intelligent connections to my community. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet,